Over the past few years, I’ve made it a priority for myself to travel—and have been lucky enough to do so. My most recent big trips have included two weeks in Italy, 10 days in the UK, and even a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia. Each time I go on an extended vacation, I learn something new about what works for me when traveling. This has required a lot of trial and error, and resulted in a few “What was I thinking when I was packing?” questions. And while I’ve nailed down a lot of my essentials, I still needed to figure out the best purse for travel.
I’m heading on another 10-day Europe trip in a couple of weeks, so I made it my personal mission to find a travel bag that checked all of my boxes so that I didn’t have to pack multiple. Most importantly, I was looking for something that is incredibly versatile. If I could wear the same purse with casual daytime outfits and dressier nighttime ones—but still be able to fit things like a camera, a small water bottle, and more—I’d free up some very valuable space in my suitcase. Scroll on for an in-depth look at the eight purses for travel that I tried.
Planning your next getaway? Find tips, itineraries, and destination ideas in The Everygirl’s Ultimate Travel Guide.
What to Look for in a Travel Purse
When I travel, I try to be as intentional as possible about what’s taking up precious space in my suitcase. And as someone who loves fashion, I also want each piece to make me feel like my best self (for both my general confidence on that day and to take some IG-worthy travel photos, of course). As someone who has found myself getting ready to go out for the day on a vacation, only to realize I simply do not have the right bag with me and have a mental breakdown about it, this intention applies to my travel purses as well. I know it might not seem important… but the girls who get it, get it.
So in my personal quest to find the absolute best purse for travel, I was looking for the following:
- Can be worn in multiple ways
- Big enough to fit everything I need but not too cumbersome to carry
- Crossbody strap option
- Durable and easy to clean
- Bonus: the ability to wear it with dressier outfits
The Best Travel Purses for Every Type of Trip
Of course, different trips might require different purses. There are definitely vacations in which you can get away with bringing your everyday bag and calling it a day. There are others that call for an evening bag, a beach tote, or a backpack. But in this review, I was looking for a purse that could get me through a 10-14 day European adventure and stand up to long days of exploring new cities. Of course, once you discover the bag that’s perfect for you on that type of trip, you’ll probably find yourself wanting to bring it on the smaller ones as well. Check out my full reviews of eight popular travel purses below.
Most Versatile Travel Purse: Lo & Sons Aoyama 2 Leather Crescent Bag
Overall Rating: 10/10
Price: $288
TL;DR
- Removable straps for three ways to wear
- Super soft leather
- Lots of organization inside
- An investment
The Aoyoma 2 Crescent Bag immediately caught my attention when I realized it comes with two separate strap attachments, meaning you can wear it as a crossbody, a shoulder bag, or a dumpling bag. And because it’s leather, it actually feels dressy enough in its dumpling form for a nice dinner out. Consider all of my boxes checked.
When the bag arrived and I saw IRL how soft and supple the leather is and all of the organizational features inside, I was completely sold. It is an investment piece, but I can truly see myself having this forever. It also comes in a nylon version that is almost $100 less expensive.
15″ L x 11.4″ H x 5.25″ D
5 colors available
Sheepskin leather; also comes in nylon ($198)
Best Travel Purse for Staying Organized: Baggallini Banana Sling
Overall Rating: 11/10
Price: $110, but frequently on sale
TL;DR
- They thought of everything with the design of this
- Tons of pockets
- Adjustable strap
- Water-repellent and made from recycled materials
This Baggallini bag was kind of a sleeper hit for me—I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do. But it truly has the most organizational features I’ve ever seen on a bag. It has tons of pockets both inside and outside, a key leash, and even a little elastic loop for easy access to your lip gloss. The outside pockets are perfect for storing things you might want easy access to, such as hand sanitizer, sunscreen, or even a small digital camera.
It might not fit the bill of being able to wear it to a nice dinner, but I genuinely think it looks very chic for daytime outfits. My upcoming Europe trip is to Stockholm and Amsterdam, and I see it fitting right in with the Scandi-inspired outfits I have planned.
Best Budget-Friendly Travel Purse: Amazon Nylon Crescent Bag
Overall Rating: 7/10
Price: $16
TL;DR
- Less than $20
- Super easy to pack
- Machine washable
- Fits everything you need
- Adjustable strap
I’ve had this nylon crescent bag bag for a while (mine is actually a no-longer-available Old Navy version). And while it might not be my personal favorite, I had to include it because the price simply can’t be beat. It also fits way more than it seems, is machine washable, and essentially packs completely flat. If you need to throw something in your suitcase for a couple more adventurous days on your trip, this could be a great option. Uniqlo’s version is also a cult favorite.
Best Investment Travel Purse: Clare V. Lune Bag
Overall Rating: 9/10
Price: $425
TL;DR
- Gorgeous design
- Packs flat
- Dressier option
- Can swap out straps
- Obsessed with this bag; deducted a point for the price
First thing’s first: I completely realize that this bag is a splurge. But if you’re looking to make one, I could sing the praises of the Clare V. Lune Bag all day long. The brand’s Grande Fanny and Moyen Messenger styles seem to get all of the love, but I think the Lune deserves more hype—especially in this stunning studded design.
To me, this bag is the ideal bag for travel because it packs flat, and you can easily swap out the straps to be worn on the shoulder, as a crossbody, or as a dumpling bag. Clare V. sells alternate straps, or you can just add on whatever you like from other bags in your closet. It’s dressy enough to be worn at night, but not too dressy that you can’t also wear it during the day.
Best Compact Travel Purse: Baggallini Trifecta Wallet RFID Crossbody
Overall Rating: 9/10
Price: $60
TL;DR
- Compact but fits a lot
- RFID protection in wallet pocket
- Adjustable strap to be worn as crossbody, belt bag, or sling
- Water-repellent and made from recycled materials
Baggallini hit it out of the park again with all of the organization features in the Trifecta Wallet RFID Crossbody. It might not hold as much as others on this list, but it certainly fits a lot more than I expected. If you’re someone who likes to only carry the essentials, this could be the bag for you. As the name would imply, it also has the added safety feature of RFID protection in the wallet pocket (which also eliminates the need to carry a wallet).
The strap can be completely removed from this to use it as a pouch in a bigger bag, or it can be worn as a crossbody, belt bag, or sling depending on where you attach the strap.
Best Machine-Washable Travel Purse: Away Featherlight Duo Crossbody
Overall Rating: 9/10
Price: $58
TL;DR
- Hidden pockets on back and strap
- Removable strap for two ways to wear
- Fits more than it seems
- Provides a fun pop of color
- Strap length is fixed
It was actually the cherry red color of this Away Featherlight Duo Crossbody that immediately made me say, “I need that!” I think having a fun pop of color in my collection of purses for travel is a great option to have. But once I saw all of the features—and the fair price point—I loved this bag even more. It also fits way more than I expected, like my bigger Fujifilm camera. I love that there are hidden pockets on the strap and the back of the bag. It’s also machine washable, and the strap can be removed to be worn as a dumpling bag.
Best Water-Repellent Travel Purse: Athleta All About Small Crossbody
Overall Rating: 8/10
Price: $60
TL;DR
- Lots of organizational pockets inside
- Frequently on sale
- Water-repellent
- Adjustable strap
- Strap gets a bit uncomfortable when packed full
I was immediately drawn to this bag because of all of its pockets—it features an easy-access outside pocket, an inside zipper pocket, and two inside mesh pockets. I like to think of it as the older sister of a lululemon belt bag. It’s also water-repellent, which is great for more adventurous or rainy-climate trips. However, I find this to be most comfortable worn as a shoulder bag, which doesn’t lend itself to most trips where I’d want to be able to wear it crossbody. The strap can get uncomfortable when it’s packed full, and as a girl who loves to carry all of the essentials, that is often the case.
Roomiest Travel Purse: Baggu Medium Crescent Bag
Overall Rating: 9/10
Price: $56
TL;DR
- Is a Mary Poppins bag in terms of what can fit inside
- Adjustable strap
- Made from recycled nylon
- Machine washable
I’m a major Baggu fan, and I’ve had this Medium Crescent Bag for years. It’s incredibly durable, and although you can machine-wash it, I don’t think I’ve ever even had to. Where this bag really shines for me is as a personal item on trips where you might be checking a bag and bringing a carry-on. You can store it under your seat to hold all of the essentials, and trust me: It fits everything. Then, when you arrive at your destination, you can use it as your daily driver—either crossbody or as a shoulder bag.
Jessica Welsh, Senior Fashion & Beauty Editor
Jessica oversees and edits all fashion and beauty content on The Everygirl. She also writes in-depth styling stories, trend reports, capsule wardrobes, and more. She was previously the Commerce Editor for The Everymom, where she oversaw all shopping content on the site and social. She has created editorial content for major brands such as Nordstrom, Old Navy, DSW, and Kohl’s.
Feature graphic images credited to: Jessica Welsh.
We get it: Your PTO is precious. So when you finally set that OOO message, you deserve a trip that’s unforgettable—not one that makes you feel like you need another vacation to recover. We compiled our favorite travel destinations, must-have travel gear, and sanity-saving hacks to bring you The Everygirl’s Ultimate Guide to Travel, so you can spend less time stressing and more time soaking it all in.
